Vertical venetian blind



July 31, 1956 A. J. TOT. 2,756,817

VERTICAL VENETIAN BLIND Filed Dec. 26, 1952 INVENTOR. ANDREW J- T077ATTORNE United States Patent() VERTICAL V EN ETIAN- BLIND Andrew J.Toti, Modesto, Calif.

Application December 26, 1952, Serial No. 327,986

6 Claims. (Cl. 160-473) This invention relates to Venetian blinds inwhich the slats are suspended to hang vertically from their upper ends,and their lower ends are generally free. The object of the presentinvention is to provide means for stabilizing the lower ends of theslats to hold them from swinging about too freely and to tend'to keepthem evenly spaced when separated more or less to control the light.

As the invention does not concern how the slats are suspended at theirupper ends nor how they are shifted to spread across the window space orretracted to one side, nor tilted to control the light, the descriptionwill be confined to the stabilizing device.

7 In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the slats opened orspaced as wide as they will go and with my improved stabilizer in place.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1 and of course showing the broken offslats of Fig. 1 in section.

Fig. 3 shows the stabilizer folded to closed position with the slatsomitted.

Fig. 4 shows the opposite side of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of one of the short links of the stabilizer.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the short link of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a side view of one of the long links of the stabilizer withits normally doubled over ends outfolded to fiat position as beforebending.

Fig. 8 is a View taken on the line 88 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 shows a modified pivotal connection between the short and longlinks.

In further detail the slats are designated 1 and are indicated as plainflat slats but insofar as the invention is concerned they may be of thecommon arcuate or crowned sheet metal type. Numeral 2 designates thestabilizer considered as a whole, and comprises a connected series ofshort 3 and longer 4 thin flat light links with their ends pivotallyconnected as at 5, and each slat loosely connected to one of the linksas at 7 through means of a ring 8 formed on one link of the stabilizerengaging the margin 9 or a hole 10 formed through the slat close to oneof its vertical edges.

The margins 5 of the hole 10 and ring 8 are relatively narrow comparedto the openings so that when engaged as shown in Figs. 2 and 8 it willprovide a very loosely engaged coupling of one edge of each slat with aring of the stabilizer so that each slat will be free to turn on its ownvertical axis for closing and opening the blind.

The stabilizer links are provided with stops 11 and 12 to limit theirslat opening movement to somewhat less than the widths of the slats sothat the slats Will overlap on their vertical margins when revolved ontheir vertical axes to closed position, and when the slats are allpulled over to either end of their travel the links of the stabilizerwill be touching each other as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The pivotal joints 5 may be any free Working pivot, such as holes 5formed in one of the links and projections 6 formed on the other topermit very free movement in the holes, and the ends 4' and 4" of thelong links are doubled over; along'the dotted lines 13' and 14' of Fig.7 to l'oosely'embrace opposite sides of the shorter links 41t0 hold the:pivotal 'joi'nts from coming apart, and also to form the stops at;points 11 and 12 to stop further opening, movement of the stabilizerthan required for-maximum desired opening: of: the slats, andat whichpoint the links are still. slanting upwardly in; zig-zag'relation fromtheir points: of; support: in.the2 openings. 10: at the edges of theslats as shown in Fig. 1 and still have a slight urge by the effect ofgravity to open somewhat further were it not for the stops mentioned.

The rings 8 by which the stabilizer is suspended from the slats is shownstruck up from one end of the long link 5 by bending it along the dottedline 15 of Fig. 7. To facilitate engagement of the rings 8 with theopenings 10 in the margins of the slats the margins may be slit to theholes 10 as at 16 (shown in Fig. 8).

Instead of the pivotal joints being as described they may be any otherfree joints or as shown in Fig. 9 wherein both links 4a and 3a, may besimply apertured at their overlapping ends and held by a loose rivet orthe pivot 17 may be the shank of a common snap fastener pushed into itssocket ring 18 but with the shank of the snap fastener long enough topermit free pivotal action of the joint thus efiected. In thisconstruction small lugs 19 bent up from the ends of the long link 4aform the stops 11 and 12 of Fig. 1, and the ring designated 8' in Fig. 9may be formed on the short link as indicated. The links are preferablymade of thin sheet aluminum so as to be fairly stiif or rigid yet light,though they may be of hard plastic, or wire.

In operation the series of links have no tendency to force the slatsapart as they are independent, but spread as the slats are pulled apartand close as the slats are closed, and in whatever position the slatsare they are stabilized in such position, both in spacing as well as inlateral alignment. It will also operate upside down but not so Well.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of its operation whatI claim is:

1. A stabilizer for the lower free ends of vertically hanging Venetianblind slats comprising a series of links loosely pivotally connectedtogether at their ends and extending horizontally across one side onlyof the blind and loosely connected with the vertical edges of successiveslats adjacent every other pivotal connection of said series and withthe intermediate connections of the series elevated so as to exert aslight downward pressure tending to spread the links, and stop meansprovided on said links to limit them to zig-zag arrangement when theseries is fully extended.

2. In a structure as set out in claim 1 the loose connection of thelinks with the slats comprising marginal loops on the slats engagingloops carried by the links and suspending the series of links inhorizontal extension against the vertical edges of the slats along onevertical side only of the blind.

3. In a structure as set out in claim 1 the loose connection of thelinks with the slats comprising marginal loops on the slats engagingloops carried by the links and suspending the series of links inhorizontal extension against the vertical edges of the slats when openand against either side of the slats when closed either wayrespectively.

4. In a structure as set out in claim 1 said links being of thin flatmaterial and their pivotal connections holding them in flatwiseoverlapping relation while free to articulate.

5. In a structure as set out in claim 1 said links being of thin flatmaterial and their pivotal connections including return-bent endsembracing opposite sides of adjacent 3 links holding the series inflatwise relation while free to References Cited in the file of thispatent artlculate- UNITED STATES PATENTS 6. A stabrhzer for the lowerend of a Venetlan blmd having vertically hanging slats, comprising aseries of 1858801 Bolard May 1932 links loosely pivotally connected endto end, means form- 5 2,135,647 PY 1938 ing a loose connection from eachslat collectively sus- 2,158,454 ZQbma May 1939 pending said series inhorizontal extension across the 2579910 Dlxon 1951 blind from pointsbelow the horizontal centerline of the 2602502 Betancourt Iuly 1952series when so suspended, and means limiting the exten- 2616497 McCarthy1952 sion of said series to maintain an up and down zig-zag 10 2680480Harlu June 1954 relation of the links whereby a slight gravitationaltendency to spread the links will be induced.

